Warning: Spoilers ahead forDexter: Original Sinseason 1.With the announcement of James Remar’s return as Harry Morgan inDexter: Resurrection, the presence of Christian Slater playing the same character inDexter: Original Sinis something of an eyebrow-raiser, but there is logic behind the complex casting decision. After appearing as part of the originalDextercast, Remar hasn’t been involved with the franchise sinceDexterended in 2013. So, his return for the follow-up to theDexter: New Bloodminiseries will mark the first time he’ll have played Harry in over a decade.
TheDexter: Original Sincastreplaced Remar with Christian Slater for the simple reason thatthe original actor is now too old to play Harry in the show’s 1991 setting. So, Slater was required to step in and inherit the role. However, because ofwhenDexter: Original Sinis set within the franchisewhen compared toResurrection, the door is open for Remar to reprise the role of Dexter’s late father - even if it does leave a few meta loose ends that tap quite aggressively on the fourth wall.
James Remar Is Michael C. Hall’s Harry Morgan – Christian Slater Is Patrick Gibson’s
Both Dexter actors have respective versions of their father
Now there are so many eras and moving parts within theDexterfranchise, there are some very careful considerations that need to be made when various aspects of the story are being addressed. Althoughit wouldn’t have made any sense for Remar to reprise his role inOriginal Sin, he has still been established to be the face of Harry Morgan in the eyes of Michael C. Hall’s version of the series' title character. Similarly, Patrick Gibson’s Dexter knows his father as the Christian Slater version. It’s not a perfect formula, but it at least allows for more consistency.
Dexter: Original Sin Avoids One Of The Most Laughable Trends From The Original Show
Dexter: Original Sin is already filling in a lot of the gaps left exposed by the original show, and has thankfully sidestepped a hilarious trope.
There’s also the matter of each version of Harry Morgan fulfilling very different roles in their respective eras. In the original show,Remar’s Harry is primarily shown in flashbacks, but also as a psychological manifestation of Dexter’s voice of reason. In other words, Hall’s character has essentially outsourced his conscience to the memory of his father that only he can see and speak with. Harry is already dead before the events ofDexter’s first episode and has been for roughly a decade. By comparison, Slater’s Harry is the real and “present-day” version of the character.
Dexter: Resurrection Could Have Used Either Remar Or Slater To Play Harry Morgan
The order in which the fourDextershows were made doesn’t necessarily reflect the franchise’s in-universe timeline. AlthoughDexterandDexter: New Blooddo form a chronological sequence of events,Dexter Original Sin’s debut in 2024 is the first time the series has gone back in time to witness Dex’s younger years in any real detail. WhenDexter: Resurrectionairs in 2025, the story will dart around again and land after the events ofDexter: New Blood. The best viewing order of the shows is a debatable topic, but there is arguably more benefit in following the order of release.
If someone were to start withOriginal Sin, Slater would be present and then suddenly transform into Remar inDexterandResurrection.
AlthoughDexter: Original Sindoesn’t necessarily require prior knowledge of the franchise going in, there are several references and nods to Dex’s future that would be missed if viewed in isolation. However, this doesn’t really support either stance regarding which order is best when viewing theDextershows. Therefore,choosing either Remar or Slater to play Harry inDexter: Resurrectionwould still have made perfect sense. If someone were to start withOriginal Sin, Slater would be present and then suddenly transform into Remar inDexterandResurrection, but the behind-the-scenes change between would still provide a salient explanation.
Why Harry Would Be Replacing Deb Again After New Blood
It wasn’t really Deb in Dexter: New Blood (& it won’t really be Harry in Resurrection)
Dexter’s need to kill is referred to in the show as his “dark passenger.” Harry helped his adoptive son develop a system to channel these urges into taking the lives of only those he thought deserved it. This often meant hunting down fellow serial killers and other unsavory individuals. When Harry died,one of Dexter’s coping mechanisms was to manifest an image of his late fatherwho would help him abide by the code he laid out for him. InDexter: New Blood, this role went to Jennifer Carpenter’s Deb Morgan, who died at the end ofDexter’s final season.
Deb discovers her brother’s true nature duringDexter, so Hall’s character eventually replaces the image of his father with his sister inNew Blood.
Although she could return, Carpenter hasn’t yet been announced as part of theDexter: ResurrectioncastSo, Remar’s comeback as Harry will likely have him reclaim his place as Dexter’s imagined support system. BecauseOriginal Sin’s opening episode revealsHall’s character survived being shot by his own son at the end ofNew Blood,there will be some complex thoughts and feelings swirling through Dex’s mind about fatherhood. Therefore, it would make perfect that he would once more summon Harry inDexter: Resurrectionto help process the trauma thatDexter: Original Sinproves he needs to live through.
Dexter
Cast
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
Dexter: New Blood
Set a decade after his disappearance, Dexter: New Blood follows Dexter Morgan living under a new identity in Iron Lake, New York. Despite his attempts to embrace a peaceful life, unforeseen events in the tight-knit community reignite his Dark Passenger, challenging his efforts to leave his past behind.
Dexter: Original Sin
Dexter: Original Sin explores Dexter Morgan’s early years in 1991 Miami as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. Guided by his father, Harry, Dexter crafts a moral code and navigates a forensics internship at Miami Metro Police, all while controlling his darker impulses.
Dexter is an American crime drama television series that aired on Showtime from June 13, 2025, to June 29, 2025. The series centers on Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician specializing in blood spatter analysis for the Miami Metro Police Department, who leads a secret life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers who have escaped justice.
Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan, also known as “The Bay Harbor Butcher,” is the central character in the “Dexter” series, both in Jeff Lindsay’s novels and the television adaptation. By day, he works as a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department; by night, he is a vigilante serial killer targeting criminals who have evaded justice.
